This weekend was the first in over a month and a half that I didn’t have any plans and it was great to just hang out and do nothing in Florence. It felt good to sleep in, sit and talk with my roommates, and do a little homework too. Friday night I went to a café/bar/library/jazz club that I’ve been dying to get to for a while. It’s a really cool place and definitely somewhere I want to go back to during the day. Afterwards we wandered around and ended up meeting some kids that we hung out with for the rest of the weekend. They all study at Florence’s University and live outside of the city near Fiesole. Eventually one of the guys started talking about how he was related to the Medicis and owns a hotel near the Duomo. I didn’t believe him at all – until he showed us the hotel! They’re more stereotypical “Italian” than other Italians we’ve been hanging out with when it comes to appearances. None of them are ashamed to admit that they’re very into they way they look and one of them even talked about how much he likes his style. It’s fun to talk to them about it, because that’s something so completely different than guys in the United States. Last night we taught them some American card games and had a Connect Four tournament. Luckily they’re just as dorky as we are and actually enjoyed it.
Earlier in the week I went to a soccer game with a bunch of girls from SACI. Fiorentina was playing Bayern Munich so there were Germans everywhere before the game. There was a carnival feel in the air all day – especially because the Germans hanging out and drinking on the steps of the Duomo were chanting and singing. In the stadium they have a whole section for fans of the opposing team with plexiglass dividers and security guards keeping people at least 20 feet back. The stands were packed and the fans were loud. It was great. Florence scored early in the game, but Bayern Munich got a goal toward the end and it finished in a tie. It was cool to see the differences between the game and sports at home. We realized that people cheered happily when someone almost scored a goal, even if they missed, just because they did a good job.
Classes have been going well. They’re easier than the ones at home so I haven’t been stressed out yet. We’ve finally started going to contemporary art museums in my Museology class, which I’m very happy about. Every time I go to one it’s like a breath of fresh air. Being surrounded by the Renaissance has made me a little tired of it (only a very little though – it’s impossible to not be in awe almost all the time). A lot of these museums have awesome libraries too and it’s been great to look at all the books. My Italian is getting better. I probably wouldn’t even be able to be friends with the guys we met this weekend if we didn’t know a little. I’ve gotten used to grocery shopping a few times a week and I’ve figured out which stands in the market are better for certain things, but I still don’t know how to cook. The days are getting shorter. Luckily we’re having an unusually warm fall, but the nights have started to get pretty cold. And luckily the second stage of culture shock didn’t last too long. I admit that there are still some things that bother me about Italy, but I can laugh about it now and accept it for what it is. I’m also amazed that I only have a month left and it’s hard to hate something when you’re trying to savor every moment!
PS - Go Obama! I watched some of the election in an "American" bar but I had to leave because the Americans were being so obnoxiously American.
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